There appears to be a virtual absence of any serious distinctions in the programs and rhetoric of the three leading political parties in Ukraine: The Party of Regions, Bloc of Yulia Timoshenko, and ...Our Ukraine. Each party is in support of the market economy, democracy, human rights, and joining the European Union. The major distinction between these parties is in the way they see the country’s past. Such an intensive use of the past reflects the absence of differences in the way they see the future. This article is dedicated to the analysis of how the past has been used in Ukrainian politics during the period of active political and regional confrontation in 2004–2010. In particular, what specific historical stories and topics are in high demand in the political rhetoric and why, and how all of these factors may prevent the process of political consolidation of the nation. The article concludes that major political parties will most likely use the same regional stereotypes of viewing the past in mobilizing their electorate during the coming parliamentary elections of 2012. The technology of confronting the “two Ukraines” will be employed by the competing political camps once again.
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Singapore's rude awakening to independence has led to the creation of one of the most important and strategic entrepôts in the Asia-Pacific. The country's limited territorial lands and natural ...resources, combined with huge per capita income, high population density and sensitive racial mix, make Singapore the quintessential pragmatic trading state of the twenty-first century. This paper examines how Singapore has embedded itself at the centre of regional and global trade systems by exploiting various forms of free trade activities including multilateral, regional and bilateral FTAs that underpin its security and survival. It argues that in order to maintain the city-state's geo-economic and geo-political viability, the Singaporean government has progressively linked its security interests with its multilevel free trade activities. Given the 'vulnerability fetish' and siege mentality that confront Singaporean leaders and policymakers, the pursuit of economic development via free trade has become the heart of its national security policy and strategy. The paper concludes by arguing that the enhancement and preservation of Singapore's survival as a sovereign nation-state demands a strategic utilization of FTAs with different trade partners, especially with regional and trans-regional powers such as the United States and China. Reprinted by permission of Routledge, Taylor and Francis Ltd.
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Scholars have long explored why presidential rhetoric is important and how it matters for public leadership and policy-making. However, relatively few works have considered the role that emotion ...plays in leadership communication and no research has conducted a thorough examination of the various types of emotions invoked in presidential rhetoric, their frequency, or how they have shaped presidential discourse over time. In this study, presidential speeches across 13 administrations (1933-2011) are examined to provide a first assessment of the extent to which US presidents have invoked fear, anger, and hope across policy domains and key types of speeches.
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494.
Reading Obama Kloppenberg, James T
2011., 20120226, 2010, 20110101, c2011
eBook
Barack Obama puzzles observers. Derided by the Right as dangerous and by the Left as spineless, Obama does not fit contemporary partisan categories. Instead, his writings and speeches reflect a ...principled aversion to absolutes that derives from sustained engagement with American democratic thought. Reading Obama traces the origins of his ideas and establishes him as the most penetrating political thinker elected to the presidency in the past century.
Ozawa Ichirō is one of the most important figures in Japanese politics, having held the positions of Chief Secretary of the Liberal Democrat Party and, after defection from the LDP, President of the ...Democratic Party of Japan. Ozawa has distinctive ideas that set him apart from the average Japanese politician, he believes in the concept of the independence of the individual, as opposed to the importance of the group, and as a policy entrepreneur he has had a huge impact on political change not only advocating but precipitating institutional change in a key political area – the election system.
Using extensive interview data from key players in the political arena, this book examines Ozawa's struggle to normalize alternation in office between two competing political parties – particularly significant given the results of the 2009 election which handed over power to the Democratic Party of Japan – and how he has used his entrepreneurial talents to precipitate and carry out institutional change.
Not only a political biography, but also an in-depth analysis of the Japanese political and electoral systems, this book will be of huge interest to anyone interested in Japanese politics and electoral systems.
Takashi Oka is a journalist who received his PhD from St Anthony's College, Oxford in 2008.
'The first biography in English of Ichiro Ozawa, former leader of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)… The book traces Mr. Ozawa's career from his birth, the beginning of his political career, and his relationship with former Prime Minister Tanaka Kakuei, and analyzes whether he was motivated by a desire for political power or by the pursuit of specific policies. Regarding the greatest motivating factors for Mr. Ozawa's political moves, the book mentions the thirst for power attributed to him by most media, but concludes that the strongest motives were policy-driven. As an example, the book cites Ozawa's refusal in October 1994 to accept the prime ministership when it was offered to him. During the past twenty years, the book says, Ozawa had many failures, and his successes were few and far between. Still, the book gives credit to Mr. Ozawa for bringing about the DPJ's landslide victory in the general election of August 30 2009.
The book mentions the process by which a citizens' panel indicted Mr. Ozawa as the defendant in a criminal trial, but says that if Mr. Ozawa wins a "Not guilty" verdict, he will still have a chance to become prime minister.' Yoshihisa Komori, Sankei Shimbun , 22nd June 2011
1 “Normal Nation”: Ozawa’s Challenge to Japanese Exceptionalism 2 Early Years and Shaping Influences 3 The Kaifu-Ozawa Regime and the First Gulf War 4 Blueprint: Ozawa’s Policy Manifesto 5 1993: the Election that Opened a New Political Era 6 Case Study One: Changing the Election System 7 Case Study Two: Changing Parliamentary Procedures 8 The Koizumi Phenomenon and Ozawa’s Response 9 Koizumi’s Triumph: the Landmark Election of 2005 10 The House of Councilors Election of 2007 11 The International Policies of a “Normal Nation” 12 Conclusion: Ozawa’s Impact on Japanese Politics
This article explores the return of the Western Somaliland diaspora to the independent yet internationally unrecognised Republic of Somaliland. It focuses on one particular group of returnees, a ...relatively well-educated group of 'professionals', who position themselves as modern political subjects through a critique of the mild stimulant khat which is consumed daily by the large majority of Somaliland adult males. The paper shows how the unregulated and widespread consumption of khat is used by 'professionals' to pinpoint the shortcomings of the political leadership and to present themselves as more legitimate political leaders of Somaliland. Moreover, khat is used by 'professionals' to disqualify consumers as legitimate political subjects and citizens of Somaliland, as it nurtures clan identities and leads to passivity-seen as incompatible with the ideals of the nation-state.
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In December 1968 Ernest May asked how the US government could gain access to 'long-headed' staffers to provide greater strategic depth to foreign policy. The challenge of long-term strategy persists: ...how should government be organized to support it, how can the right people be found to staff it and how can political leaders make time for longer-term policy-making given the challenge of the immediate? The policy planning staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have traditionally had the task of supporting longer-range, broader foreign policy. A small group of diplomats—later leavened by externals from the media, non-profit and private sectors—was meant to generate an improved approach to British interests and policy. As Robert Wade-Gery recalls of its role in the 1960s, there was a push to forge fresh links with outside thinking. Did it work? Former policy planners can be circumspect about its achievements. One former British planner said he felt like 'a spare part rattling around in a tin', while former American planners have written about the challenge of injecting fresh thinking when detached from decision-making. Other planners were dragged into operational work or speech-writing. Many planners nonetheless enjoyed the opportunity to think more broadly. Policy planning can be intellectually rich without being the source of actionable strategic thinking about the long-term national interest. This article suggests that a greater focus on people rather than systems might help to foster more strategic, anticipatory and innovative thinking about the national interest.
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Twice elected prime minister of Thailand at the head of his Thai Rak Thai Party, telecommunications magnate Thaksin Shinwatra was controversial in office. Since his government was overthrown by a ...September 2006 military coup backed by the palace, conservatives, and a broad coalition of opponents, Thaksin has remained at the centre of Thailand's continuing political turmoil. This paper examines his political legacy, both in its positive and negative forms, through a focus on the nature of political parties and electoral policies in Thailand; the role of business interests in politics; the impact of Thaksin's politics on political activism and mobilisation; populism, social welfare, and the reaction of the middle class to welfare politics; Thaksin's confrontation with the elite and the monarchy; and the developing judicialisation of politics.
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The Open Access version of this book, available at https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781351527927 , has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 ...license
The start of the new millennium will be remembered for deadly climate-related disasters - the great floods in Thailand in 2011, Super Storm Sandy in the United States in 2012, and Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013, to name a few. In 2014, 17.5 million people were displaced by climate-related disasters, ten times more than the 1.7 million displaced by geophysical hazards. What is causing the increase in natural disasters and what effect does it have on the economy? Climate Change and Natural Disasters sends three messages: human-made factors exert a growing influence on climate-related disasters; because of the link to anthropogenic factors, there is a pressing need for climate mitigation; and prevention, including climate adaptation, ought not to be viewed as a cost to economic growth but as an investment. Ultimately, attention to climate-related disasters, arguably the most tangible manifestation of global warming, may help mobilize broader climate action. It can also be instrumental in transitioning to a path of low-carbon, green growth, improving disaster resilience, improving natural resource use, and caring for the urban environment. Vinod Thomas proposes that economic growth will become sustainable only if governments, political actors, and local communities combine natural disaster prevention and controlling climate change into national growth strategies. When considering all types of capital, particularly human capital, climate action can drive economic growth, rather than hinder it.
1. Overview 2. The Anatomy of Climate-Related Natural Disasters 3. The Rising Threat of Climate-Related Natural Disasters; Global 4. Climate Change Mitigation 5. Climate Adaptation and Disaster Management 6. Transforming Mindsets 7. A New Development Paradigm
A highly authoritative, lucid, and timely analysis of the implications of climate change and disasters for sustainable development—the universally accepted path for humanity in the 21st century.
Mohan Munasinghe , Chairman, Munasinghe Institute for Development
A thought-provoking examination of the links between climate change and natural disasters, and how to tackle both. Its call for greater investments in natural capital, "nature’s infrastructure"—in addition to physical and human capital—to meet these critical 21st century challenges is particularly timely and welcome.
Inger Andersen , Director General, International Union for Conservation of Nature
Recent extreme climate impacts in Asia and across the world underscore the urgent need to act on climate change. Policymakers need every resource available to put in place effective policies and incentives to achieve the vision outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement, and this book holds great potential to secure the practical pathways that can turn the Paris vision into reality.
Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
This is a timely and engagingly written book on an important topic of increasing international concern.
Jagdish Bhagwati, Columbia University
A compelling evidence-based call to action on the climate-natural disaster link. A must-read for development economists and advocates in rich and poor countries alike.
Nancy Birdsall , President, Center for Global Development
Vinod Thomas was formerly Senior Vice President at the World Bank and Director General at the Asian Development Bank. He is the author of 15 books and numerous peer-reviewed articles on subjects ranging from macroeconomic policy and trade policy to urban policy, agriculture, and the environment.
Open access – no commercial reuse
In one of the darker aspects of Nazi Germany, churches and universities - generally respected institutions - grew to accept and support Nazi ideology. Robert P. Ericksen explains how an advanced, ...highly educated, Christian nation could commit the crimes of the Holocaust. This book describes how Germany's intellectual and spiritual leaders enthusiastically partnered with Hitler's regime, thus becoming active participants in the persecution of Jews, and ultimately, in the Holocaust. Ericksen also examines Germany's deeply flawed yet successful postwar policy of denazification in these institutions. Complicity in the Holocaust argues that enthusiasm for Hitler within churches and universities effectively gave Germans permission to participate in the Nazi regime.
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